Wildfire exercise to test CIS emergency services

MINSK. March 25. KAZINFORM The CIS emergency response forces are set to conduct the first joint exercise in 2011, Director of the Department for International Activity of the Emergencies Ministry of Russia Yuri Brazhnikov told media on 24 March as he commented on the results of the session of the CIS Interstate Emergencies Council; Kazinform refers to BelTA.

In his words, representatives of the CIS Emergencies Ministries agreed to hold the exercise in Russia in H1 this year. The exercise is meant to test the CIS's ability to respond to major wildfire emergencies.

The exercise will take place at the National Crisis Management Center of Russia.

The Russian official stressed that the recent developments in Japan and other countries add urgency to stepping up emergency response cooperation between the countries.

The CIS emergency forces comprise 363 special rescue vehicles and 1952 rescue workers.

In his commentary on the CIS Interstate Emergencies Council decisions made in Minsk, First Deputy Emergencies Minister of Belarus Valentin Karpitsky expressed confidence that they would contribute to strengthening security of the CIS member states in response to natural and man-made emergency situations. Thus, one of the decisions taken at the Minsk session was related to the development of the CIS Chernobyl Shelter Fund; Kazinform cites BelTA.